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Seahawks 2016 regular-season grades

January 5, 2017

Photo: Elaine Thompson/AP

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Quarterback: B

If we were grading on degree of difficulty, Russell Wilson would get an A after dealing with serious ankle and knee injuries that limited his trademark mobility for much of the season. But since we're not grading on a curve, Wilson gets a B. Despite setting career and franchise highs for passing yards with 4,219, the fifth-year pro's touchdowns were down and his interceptions were up. Certainly not all of the blame goes to Wilson, but he has seemed to struggle with accuracy much more this season than in recent memory. Wilson also set a career low with 259 rushing yards, which makes sense given his injuries.

Quarterback: B If we were grading on degree of difficulty,... Photo-11455853.139528 - seattlepi.com

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Running back: C-

This is a difficult position to grade given the fact that 10 different running backs carried the ball for the Seahawks this season as the backfield was gutted by injuries. When they got the ball, there often wasn't a lot of room to run, either. But when Christine Michael is still the team's leading rusher after being cut in mid-November, that's not good. The trio of Thomas Rawls, C.J. Prosise and Alex Collins combined for just 646 yards on 170 carries (a 3.8-yard average) as the Seahawks rushed for 1,591 yards, the lowest total since Pete Carroll's first year in Seattle in 2010.

Running back: C- This is a difficult position to grade given... Photo-11933888.139528 - seattlepi.com

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Wide receiver: B-

After signing a four-year, $46 million contract extension in the offseason, Doug Baldwin proved he was a No. 1 receiver, following up a breakout 2015 season by putting together career highs in receptions (a franchise record-tying 94) and yards (1,128). Jermaine Kearse struggled mightily after re-signing with the team in the offseason, catching just 41 of his 89 targets, including just one that went for a touchdown. After struggling with injuries in the first half of the season, Tyler Lockett was coming on before he suffered a season-ending broken leg on Christmas Eve. Third-year pro Paul Richardson showed some nice things down the stretch, but still had only 21 catches.

Jimmy Graham should make a run at NFL Comeback Player of the Year after getting back on the field following a ruptured patellar tendon injury in 2015. The three-time Pro Bowler played in all 16 regular-season games, catching 65 passes for 923 yards and six touchdowns even though his targets were inconsistent. He also continued to improve as a blocker. Backup Luke Willson showed his toughness while battling back from a knee injury that cost him five games, while Brandon Williams was a solid special teams player. Rookie third-round pick Nick Vannett played in just eight games.

Tight end: A- Jimmy Graham should make a run at NFL Comeback... Photo-12053038.139528 - seattlepi.com

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Offensive line: D+

Look, we weren't expecting tackles George Fant, Garry Gilliam or Bradley Sowell to turn into Walter Jones, but we were expecting to see more consistency from this group. The line has been a question mark since well before the 2016 season began, and it might now be the team's Achilles' heel in the postseason. Fant, Gilliam and Sowell struggled for much of the season outside, while guards Mark Glowinski and first-round pick Germain Ifedi were hit-and-miss at best. Only Justin Britt's solid year at center prevents the line from getting a failing grade. The team now has to hope the struggles from this season lead to better things in 2017.

There might not be a better end trio than Cliff Avril, Michael Bennett and Frank Clark, who combined for 26½ sacks, 63 quarterback hits and 33 tackles for loss. Avril set a career-high with 11½ sacks, while the über-disruptive Bennett registered a team-high 14 tackles for loss in just 11 games. When Bennett went down with a knee injury, second-year pro Clark picked up the slack, registering 20 tackles and three sacks in five weeks. Third-year player Cassius Marsh also had his most productive season to date with 22 total tackles, three sacks and a fumble both forced and recovered.

Defensive end: A There might not be a better end trio than... Photo-11603856.139528 - seattlepi.com

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Defensive tackle: B

Veteran Tony McDaniel was very solid after joining the team midway through training camp, leading all defensive tackles with 43 tackles, while Ahtyba Rubin notched 39. Both helped clog lanes for a Seattle run defense that ranked seventh in the NFL, as did rookie second-round pick Jarran Reed, who came into the league as the 2016 draft's premier run-stopper. Reed also showed an ability to get to the passer, with 1.5 sacks and four quarterback hits. A rotating cast of Sealver Siliga, Garrison Smith, Quinton Jefferson and John Jenkins rounded out the group.

Middle linebacker Bobby Wagner, weakside 'backer K.J. Wright and [insert strongside 'backer here] might be the best starting trio in the league. Seriously, it didn't matter who lined up at the strongside spot (a part-time position at this point) because both Wagner and Wright played like All-Pros. Wagner's 167 tackles led the league and set a new franchise record, while Wright notched 126 of his own, including 12 tackles for loss. The pair also combined for 8.5 sacks and 26 quarterback hits (18 of which came from Wagner, who might garner Defensive Player of the Year consideration). Mike Morgan, Brock Coyle and Kevin Pierre-Louis are primarily special teams players.

Richard Sherman had a team-high four interceptions and also grabbed most of the headlines this season with his on- and off-field behavior, but it was first-time starter DeShawn Shead who led the team with 14 passes defensed. Sherman and Shead were iron men, ranking second and fourth in defensive snaps throughout the season (Wagner led the team while Wright was third). Slot corner Jeremy Lane struggled somewhat after re-signing with the Seahawks in free agency, while Neiko Thorpe and rookie DeAndre Elliott were solid special teams contributors.

Kam Chancellor had a bounce-back season despite missing four games with a groin injury, re-establishing himself as perhaps the premier run-stopping safety in the league. Earl Thomas was also playing at an All-Pro level before suffering a fractured leg in Week 13. His replacement, Steven Terrell, has played fairly well, but the difference between a league-average safety and the all-world Thomas has been noticeable over the last four games. Kelcie McCray and Jeron Johnson are solid backups and special teams contributors.

Kicker Stephen Hauschka missed 10 kicks this year, including six extra points, with six of those kicks being blocked. How much of that had to do with the low trajectory of Hauschka's kicks versus high snaps from new long snapper Nolan Frese is anyone's guess, but the results weren't great. Punter Jon Ryan averaged 44 yards per kick, his lowest since 2013, but did an admirable job as a holder with some of the errant snaps headed his way.